That was an excellent one.

Powerful

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

The Accused is a powerful movie to educate the ignorant world about the law. The movie focuses on the fact that it is not only a crime to commit a rape, but it also a crime to induce, persuade, and convince a person to continue or and commit a rape. The second thing that this true story focused on was, no matter how you dress, how you act, how many lovers you've had, how you talk, or where you live, you deserve a fair trial, fair treatment, and justice like anyone else. The most brilliant thing about this film is they showed the actual rape scene. Once you see it, you have a whole new perspective on things.Foster received a well-deserved Oscar as her fearless performance of Sarah. There is a graphic rape scene towards the closing of the film that is to be expected since the main theme of this film is about the outcomes of a terrible and vicious rape. McGillis's character seeks justice from the men who raped her in a downtown bar and even goes after the men who watched and cheered on the rape and did nothing to stop it. Tom Topor wrote the outstanding screenplay. His heroine is not a clean cut responsible person but a flawed woman trying to make a living and a life. This is more realistic than other films that would have a perfect Sarah.Once you've seen this movie, you'll never forget it. It's no wonder Foster won an Oscar for this movie.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

The Accused is directed by Jonathan Kaplan and written by Tom Topor. It stars Jodie Foster and Kelly McGillis. Music is by Brad Fiedel and cinematography by Ralf D. Bode.After Sarah Tobias (Foster) suffers a brutal rape in a road side bar one night, prosecutor Kathryn Murphy (McGillis) takes up the case to bring the perpetrators to justice. Including the ones who encouraged and cheered on the attack.Criminal Solicitation.Some have bemoaned The Accused as being a TV movie type production, while the thematic edge of Sarah Tobias being a "good time gal, even slutty", has caused consternation in highbrow circles. What garbage!Depressingly based around an incident that occurred in Massachusetts 1983, The Accused is still a powerful film watching experience over twenty years after it was released. It finds Kaplan and Topor refusing to sweeten the meal, it is what it is, uncompromising in detail whilst casting sleazy like shadows over the justice system and the marginalisation of Sarah Tobias. In fact, as an observation of the law, with its plea bargains and shifting around of character judgements and actions, it's a potent piece of cinema.Foster is terrific and completely deserved her Oscar win for Best Actress. She has Sarah as tough and demonstrative in her belief that justice has not been served, that because she likes a drink, a tug of weed and a flirt with the boys, she is fair game to be ganged raped whilst others cheer on like Neanderthals. The energy and raw emotion shown by Foster is fantastic and a lesson in acting that budding actresses should study. McGillis was overlooked for praise, but she also is wonderful, brilliantly written by Topor, Kathryn Murphy in McGillis' hands builds from a weary cynic at the beginning to a force of nature later in the courtroom. The scenes there between Foster and McGillis are enough to shatter your heart.Opening the film with a scene that sees Sarah screaming and fleeing from the bar, her clothes torn, the makers rightly show the actual rape at the end of the film in flashback form. It's harrowing and devastating, and the point where the picture achieves all the goals it set itself. If you are sitting there thinking about TV production value or predictability? Then quite frankly you really haven't been paying attention. 9/10

One thing I found interesting about "The Accused" - a film that's famous for the vicious rape of a young blue-collar woman - is just how they chose to go about making such a movie. You know going in that there's a bad scene, and that the rest of the movie deals with the repercussions. But the film begins immediately after the atrocity went down. We open with Jodie Foster desperately flagging down a ride to make good her escape, and flow right into the doctor's examination of her ghastly welts, claw marks and bruising. The tone is set without any on screen violence. Now, there's still a "bad scene" involved, but it doesn't happen until we've spent some time in the courtroom. It's a flashback, although the tension and foreboding have been ratcheted to obscene heights that it's still, to this day, beyond brutal (nauseating would be the better way to put it). The whole of the movie is not easy to watch, and it's one that doesn't hold a lot of replay value. But the reason to recommend it (and I'm sure it has been for 25 years) is the performances from the two leads. Both are exceptional, but Foster won that Oscar for a reason. At the center of this movie are two women who are fighting; one for her side of the story to be heard (after her character assassination in the eyes of the public), and the attorney who's out to help her find justice. "The Accused" is not as harrowing as "Leaving Las Vegas", but it's still no day at the beach. Regardless, should this movie ever come up in conversation, my recommendation will be based entirely on those performances from Jodie Foster and Kelly McGillis.7/10

As for plot and theme, several more interesting court-related dramas have been made before and after -- although it is based on real events. Moreover, there are no distinguishing actors or actresses apart from Foster; even Kelly McGillis is just average. The issue is painful and the movie gives food for thought (it is said the rape was first openly discussed in the movie in question), but the outcome was predictable and there were no sudden twists in the events. This is not the movie you will watch over and over again and find new angles and nuances. Recommended to fans of Foster and/or strong female characters.